Experts to explain mechanisms of climate change

March 10, 2008

Two prominent authorities on the complex combination of factors underlying climate change will explain those factors and their possible impact on future weather patterns in a free public presentation at the University of New England on Wednesday evening [12 March].

UNE's Associate Professor Robert Baker (pictured here) is well known for his work linking long-term patterns of climate and sea-level change with cycles of solar activity (including sun spots), and Professor Garry Willgoose from the University of Newcastle is the Director of that university's Centre for Climate Impact Management.

This event, hosted by the Northern Group of Engineers Australia (Newcastle Division), will begin with free drinks and nibbles at 6.30 pm in UNE's McClymont Building (Lecture Theatre 1), where the talks will begin at around 7 pm. It will follow a function – also hosted by Engineers Australia – to welcome the first students to embark on UNE's new Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree program.

Dr Baker will argue that focusing simply on reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere will not solve the problem. "Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming," he said, "but it is just one part of a complex system. We have to understand the system as a whole. And even if we consider only the human-generated elements of that system, there might well be other contributors – such as aerosols – more significant than carbon dioxide."

He will discuss published evidence that gases released into the atmosphere by the oceans' plankton are a major factor in cloud formation. "There is a mechanism linking the fluctuating levels of these gas emissions with cycles of solar activity," he explained. "When the sun's magnetic field is relatively strong (as signalled by sunspots), it forms a 'shield' that stops some ultra-violet radiation from reaching the earth. This allows the plankton to proliferate, and the resulting increase in gas emissions causes increased cloud formation and hence higher rainfall."

Such mechanisms could have triggered some of the significant changes in climate and sea levels revealed in the geological record, Dr Baker said – changes unrelated to levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Professor Willgoose said his talk would "take the audience through the key issues" – including the rate of rise of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the link between rising gas concentrations and atmospheric/ocean temperatures, and rising sea levels. "The talk will wrap up with some observations on current issues, including (a) what climate change might look like and the consequences for adaptation, (b) proposals for carbon trading/taxes, and (c) future electricity generation options for NSW," he said.

People planning to attend this event should let Engineers Australia know by phoning Katrina Baker on (02) 4926 4440 before lunchtime on Wednesday, or by sending an e-mail to: kbaker@engineersaustralia.org.au.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at March 10, 2008 05:54 PM